In most lamination processes of high strength structures, a sub-process winds or places a ‘tow’ of matrix-infused, properly-oriented, continuous fiber composite onto the surface of the component being fabricated. Solid or flexible tapes made of such materials as metal or plastic foil may be wound onto the surface of the component being built up.
In the 1970's, considerable development of “thermoplastic matrix” composite manufacturing processes built up uniaxial, continuous fiber tapes. Those techniques failed to be adopted because the entire core of the tape required re-liquifaction during bonding, thereby producing parts whose shape was inherently unstable (prone to creep) under subsequent thermal cycling.
Conventionally used processes perform a thermosetting cure of the entire structure after it is wound, laid-up, vacuum infused, extruded, pultruded, or fiber-placed. For brevity, the collection of conventionally used sub-processes that form layers in conventional composite manufacturing processes will be called ‘wet’ assembly.
Conventionally used processes cure the entire part after a wet assembly sub-process in order to form a strong interface between ‘plies’ (or layers) of oriented continuous fiber. Such optimized interfaces are made as nearly uniform (in material properties discontinuities) as possible. Conventionally used processes rely on controlled orientation of continuous fiber to produce parts with superior strength compared to parts achievable with chopped, segmented, and/or randomly-oriented fiber. Although manufacturing costs can be substantially decreased by using fiber that is cut sometime before it is added to the final part, the lack of control of fiber cuts' locations sacrifices most of the extreme stress capacity of continuous, orientation controlled fiber.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have techniques capable of producing composite structures which are not susceptible to creep, have low manufacturing costs and/or minimal capital costs for tooling, and/or eliminate the cost of oven curing the entire structure.